


A Guage-ing Yarn

by Candidus_Lupus_Full_Moon



Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, Inspired By Tumblr, Knitting porn, Multi, My OC Sara, Von Pinn Mentioned, polyshipweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candidus_Lupus_Full_Moon/pseuds/Candidus_Lupus_Full_Moon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tarvek tells Gil the story of how he acquired his hobby.</p><p>Inspired by polyshipweek on tumblr </p><p>Person A knows how to knit and likes to make socks/scarfs/mittens/sweaters etc for the other members of the polyship. Who watches in awe as A knits all kinds of complicated patterns and things? Who wants A to teach them how to knit too? Who’s constantly asking A to knit them more stuff? Bonus points if A really doesn’t look like a person who’d have knitting as a hobby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Guage-ing Yarn

**Author's Note:**

> This was a self indulgent story about knitting because we need more yarns.

Needles click in time with her movements as she draws yarn from the ball at her feet; ball itself he notes is contained in a basket to prevent it from rolling about the ship. She looks at peace lost in the act of creation or maybe thinking about what has to be done on the rest her shift. None of that matters so long as she keeps up with mesmerizing click and rasp of wood on wood.

Tarvek has watched her work for weeks now. He had hoped the first time would sooth the nightmares that plagued him, tonight however there were no demons to banish only curiosity, though to some sparks curiosity was its own daemon.The repetitive click followed by the emerging piece of fabric was enticing. He needed to know what the end result would be then, he told himself no more watching, this fascination with her and her art would be put behind him. He’s not expecting to be found out four weeks into his watching.

He had memorised her shift time and placement, knew that she picked this box every time she had off to sit and work. Tarvek liked habitual people, it made them easier to follow but he knew it could get you killed. Her habits worked to his advantage however, as he chose his hiding spot, a large collection of cargo boxes right near the one she always used. Arriving early gave him time to get into place before she arrived as not to spot him out of bed. He waited, waited, and waited.

She was late. Why was she late? She had never been late before. Her habits indicated that this was her preferred spot and she had never shown any signs of changing nor, in the four weeks since he had begun watching her, had she ever missed her crafting break. Twenty minutes had gone by since his realization, she wasn't coming which meant that he had been out of bed for almost an hour and it was late The clock mounted to the wall declared it midnight, he sighed, she wasn’t coming tonight. Maby he had missed her or she had suddenly changed her location it didn't help him be less upset at his failure to see her.

He wouldn't get to see the progression of her project, observations were important at this stage and a missed day was a discrepancy in his noting how long it was taking her to progress. Last week she had added a ball of white yarn in addition to the pale blue ball she had started with. It appeared that she was using the new color to add texture to the emerging fabric. What was the fabric going to be? Why wasn’t she sewing it? What was the art with the needles called? He wanted to know and missing her tonight would set him back in this investigation. He promised that he would only continue observing until she had completed the project any more observation was frivolous. Staking out a new spot would set him back and she would progress without him, never allowing him satisfying his need know.

“Hey kid, I’m sorry about keeping you waiting.”

 _I’m gonna be in so much trouble now_ , he looked up to face his doom. He was facing be punished and the women before him was smiling. She kept smiling even in the face of his ever growing fear. He didn’t want to be punished, that would mean being sent back which was the last thing he wanted. All he wanted to see what thing with the needles was and now he had been caught.

”Kid, Kid, don’t cry now, I’m not going to tell Von Pinn that your out of bed,” her voice was soft as she comforted him, “My name is Sara, you’ve been watching me knit, right?” He looked at her, eyes wide, she wasn’t going to send him back? She the was the lady with the needles? She looked different, covered in grease, long hair wrapped up in a hat, like she was apart of Castle Wulfenbach, her smile was the same though and that set him at ease.

“Sorry I didn’t make it tonight. I got caught up doing some work in engines and didn’t have time to clean up.” She kept talking as Tarvek looked at her wide eyed then scowled as she reached out to ruffle his hair. He tried not to squirm under the affection she was showing him, she laughed at him anyway. “So, are you ok with coming back to my room while I clean up?” Why would she be asking him this? She should just send him straight back to the school where he belonged. “I don’t understand” he said giving her a confused look.

“You liked watching me knit right?”, he nodded in response. “Well, I was going to work on my blanket after I cleaned up and I figured you could join me. Get an up close view of the action as it were” She as inviting him to watch her knit up close, maybe he could finally ask her some questions. She had answered two of his burning questions already the thought that she might tell him more was inverograting.

Sara watched intently as Tarvek pulled out a notebook and began jotting down what he had learned, he looked like he had more questions though, so she waited for him to answer her. He was cute she thought, no one else had expressed interest in her knitting before most considered it unremarkable, dismissed as women’s work and nothing more. It was refreshing to see someone so intrigued by the simple act of two sticks moving.

“It’s called Knitting right? You're making a blanket? For who? Why?” Sara blinked at the rapid stream of questions coming out of the quiet boy before her. It seems she had unleashed the dragon as it were. He hadn’t even waited for her to answer the first set before firing off another. “Why are you using two colors? How much does the yarn cost? Is it hard?” Then much softer and rushed ”willyouteachmehow?” He blushed as he said it, the redness filling up his cheeks making him look feverish. She chuckled as he got over his embarrassment to put his glasses up and ready his pencil and notebook. The kid looked like a tiny owl with his cheeks flushed, red hair ruffled from bed and her hand. She must have waited too long to answer because his excited face started to fall. Sara mimed writing and his face broke into another shy smile. “Ready?” she said.

“Yes it’s called Knitting. I am making a blanket, for my sister, who’s had a baby. Two colors makes for a nice contrast, the cost of the yarn depends on how much and the type. No it’s not hard and of course I'll show you how.” She waited as the cargo hold was filled with the sound of a pencil scratching on foolscap. “So back to my room?” Tarvek tried and failed to hid his yawn behind his notebook. “Ah, it is late back to bed with you then.” He looked as if he wanted to protest but was caught up in another yawn.

“No” his protest sounded sharp, “if I can’t stay awake when will you teach me?” He looked at her, fear on his face, it was as if he thought she would revoke her promise so soon after she gave it. He must have had a lot of that in his life, she frowned at that but was quick to reassure him “Tarvek, just because I’m on the night shift doesn't mean I can’t wake up early to teach you. I’ll even work something out with Von Pinn and the Baron so you can be out after curfew.”

Tarvek perked up at that no one had ever made exceptions for him. Not only that but she knew his name and did sneer when she said it. He would have to prove himself as a good student and earn the lessons she was offering. He wanted his so bad, a hobby not dictated by his family, something all his own. Learning a new skill that had nothing to do with all the succession nonsense was a thing to be cherished. It was a chance to be himself for once in his short life and no one could take from him. His elation was broken by another huge yawn. Sara smiled at him again “Come on Tarvek it's time to get you to bed”

◯◯◯◯◯

The click of needles followed by the movement of the yarn between fingers is more soothing than any other blam in the world. Needles click in time with his breathing, the yarn softly pulling through nimble fingers and the ball bounces a little in the basket beneath him. Tarvek reclined on the couch as his head rested on Gil’s stomach. He tried not to lose his place as Gil took a deep breath preparing to speak, “that can’t be the end?” came his indigent voice. Tarvek shrugged as he continued knitting “You're the one who wanted me to tell you how I learned to knit.”

“But, there has to be more to the story than that.” Gil sounded frustrated. “I’ve never seen you knitting before, you can’t have learned on Castle Wulfenbach.” Tarvek chuckled as Gil’s shouting made him bounce a bit, his frustration was quite amusing. “I did, you can ask Sara herself if she’s still on the ship. She gave me lessons until I was kicked off by your father.” That seemed to sober Gill some. “Did you find a new tutor after,” Gil asked. Tarvek paused, setting his project to his chest, freeing his hand so he could rub up and down Gil’s arm. It appeared to sooth him because Tarvek felt the relaxing of his stomach. “There was a maid at the palace who taught me how to make socks and after that there was a man in Paris who knew how to make things fine like lace.”

Gil was quite at that, thinking on it probably seeing if he could remember Sara. Tarvek gave his arm another rub before he picked his knitting back up, the needles resumed their rhythmic clicking. The quiet was comforting, filled only by their low breathing and the seemingly never ending clicking. Neither of them rushed to fill up the air with more conversation, content to let the white noise blanket them. The clicking continued uninterrupted for quite some time.

Agatha’s cowl was coming along nicely. He was immensely pleased with the golden cashmere yarn he had managed to acquire it was hard won. She had asked specifically for this design after seeing it on someone in Paris, it wasn’t going to be without his own flair though, he worked white mother of pearl beads to give it that shimmer. He hoped she would be pleased with her birthday gift and it would be a nice surprise once it was done. The beads might have made the gift far too expensive but he didn’t care, Agatha deserved nice things for putting up him and Gil fighting all the time. She rarely allowed her boyfriends to spoil her with nice things that might have been for the best as she would get twice as many things.

Tarvek bent down to retrieve the pattern so he could check his place, it had been set on Gil’s arm but he knocked it down with his shifting. The moment his back left contact with Gil’s chest, Gil began to whine. “Come back, your warm.”

“I am, let me check my place in the pattern first.” fond annoyance colored his word as he dropped himself back on Gil’s broad chest. “There, warm enough?” Gil’s response was swift “Yes, I was almost asleep watching you.”

“So go to bed,” he volleyed back.

“The bed is cold, needs the two of you too,” came Gil’s sleepy grumble.

“I see how it is, you're using me for my warmth.”

“I like watching you knit plus I’m nottired.” Gil’s words coming slurred at the end as Tarvek watched him perform a jaw cracking yawn.

“Not tired, my cravat,” he grumbled.

“Just let me keep watching you knit,”

Tarvek sighed, “fine, I’ll keep knitting till you fall asleep, then laugh as you get a crick in your neck.”

The two of them settled back on to the couch, shifting a bit to find a comfy spot before resuming what they had been doing.Gil’s deep breathing moving Tarvek up and down in time with the clicking of his knitting needles.

Tarvek kept knitting long after Gil’s breathing had deepened indicating that he had fallen asleep. He no longer had to put on a show for his lover watching and could pick up his pace a bit. The needles clicking faster no longer in time with his boyfriend's breath but at a pace with his thoughts. He only knitted slowly so Gil could follow his movements, and much like his younger self Gil watched him to fall asleep. If he knitted at his top speed it just left his lover amazed rather than tired, sometimes he fell into a fugue at that. He should work on something for Gil next. Fingerless gloves maybe? He was always complaining that his hands got cold while he was working. One of the advantages about being a spark was that the adage about knitting for your significant other became null after all sparky tendencies ment sharing in each other's work.

He felt like knitting forever, never taking a break, only switching to the next project after this one was done, his body however protested this idea with a large yawn. Maby he should wake Gil, and lead the two of them to bed. He was saved from this action by the slamming of the door.

“Tarvek, you have to see what I did to the waffle maker.” Agatha shouted the spark permeating her words. Tarvek shoved the half finished cowl into the basket at his feet to prevent her from seeing it.“Shhhhh, Gil’s asleep” his voice soft as he sooths the man back to sleep. He saw Agatha wince before she shut the door with a click.

“Sorry, I was working in the lab and must have lost track of time.”

Tarvek met her eyes, “It’s fine we were going to bed, Gil wanted to wait up and fell asleep instead.” As he stood up he kicked the basket with her gift under the table hoping she wouldn't notice. “Help me get him to bed would you?”

Agatha practically bounced over to them as she took one of Gil’s hands to pull him up off the couch. Gill moaned at their actions but stayed asleep. He was glad, Gill had been getting more nightmares coupled with less sleep. It was making him cranky and Tarvek wanted it to stop, watching him knit was the only cure.

Agatha and Tarvek managed to drag Gil to the bedroom in no time at all. Once there they flop Gil down on the bed so Agatha could begin taking off his clothes. She still had a gleam of madness in her eyes and he hoped that Gil would be left to sleep while he retrieved her present. He quickly found a hiding spot for the cowl and sprinted back to the bedroom.

He need not have worried, upon entering he was greeted with Gil tucked under the covers and Agatha sitting on the edge of the bed. “You're not going to sleep?” He asked striping out of his clothes.

She shook her head “No, too much coffee.”

“Fair enough,”he crawled into bed next to Gil, “don’t work to hard.”

“Sleep well boys, I’ll be in as soon as the coffee wear off” She turned out the lights and walked toward the door. She shut it with a click.


End file.
